


Forgiveness

by UniverseNil



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Amends, F/F, Forgiveness, Kara is being a weirdo, SuperCorp, Thanksgiving, steak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21552517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniverseNil/pseuds/UniverseNil
Summary: It had taken weeks of excruciatingly honest conversations, and apologies made and accepted on both sides, but Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor had eventually taken tentative steps back toward friendship. Everything seemed to be back on track.Which is why Lena was so taken aback when Kara firmly declined her invitation to dinner.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 10
Kudos: 492





	Forgiveness

Somehow, despite everything that had happened between them, Lena and Kara had worked things out. Or so Lena thought. 

It had taken weeks of excruciatingly honest conversations, and apologies made and accepted on both sides, but they had eventually taken tentative steps back toward friendship. The coffee dates and movie nights had slowly resumed, and Supergirl was regularly stopping by Lena’s office with coffee or treats to celebrate their renewed friendship. Everything seemed to be back on track. 

More than on track, really. A misjudged hug at the end of a recent movie night had unexpectedly led to half an hour of hesitant-and-then-increasingly-confident kissing in Lena’s foyer. 

Which is why Lena was so taken aback when Kara declined her invitation to dinner. 

*** 

They had been at the tail end of yet another movie marathon at Kara’s apartment, tangled together under the soft afghan. Kara was sleepily pressing kisses under Lena’s jaw, and her hand had snuck just barely under Lena’s blouse. 

Lena tipped her head back to give Kara more access. “Darling, we should go to the Pacific Steakhouse for dinner this Friday. They have a 72 oz. Porterhouse steak challenge that seems like it’d be right in your wheelhouse.” Her friend’s eating habits made so much more sense now that the truth was out. “If you eat the steak and sides in an hour, they only charge you for the drinks and send you home with a trophy.” 

Kara had been much less receptive than Lena expected, however, immediately backing off, stammering, and refusing to make eye contact. “Uh… I have a Supergirl thing. Friday. Alex, uh, said she’d kill me if I rescheduled again.” 

Lena frowned. Traditionally, the older Danvers sister kicked up a fuss but ultimately gave in to Kara’s pout. Unless… “DEO war games?” she guessed. If half the DEO had to be onsite, it made sense why Alex would be standing firm. 

“Yes! That’s it exactly! It’s a training simulation.” Kara regarded her anxiously. “Uh… and that’s all I can say, because it’s classified.” 

*** 

So instead, Lena was spending that Friday evening at a happy hour with her Board of Directors, at an upscale bar and grill near the L-Corp building. The stuffy group of men weren’t her favorite companions, but getting the occasional cocktail with them did make the executive committee meetings go more smoothly. And they liked to hear themselves talk, so the conversation was easy at least, even if most of it involved lying outrageously about golf. 

To her utter astonishment, the door opened and Alex and Kelly walked in, dressed to the nines. 

“Excuse me, gentlemen. Some friends just walked in, and I want to say hello.” 

She headed over to the cocktail table where Alex and Kelly were just finishing up with the waitress. 

“Agent Danvers, Dr. Olsen, I didn’t expect to run into you this evening.” 

Alex startled, then broke into a grin when she recognized Lena. “Oh, hey, good to see you, Luthor. You here with Kara?” 

Lena’s eyebrow rose ever so slightly. “Uh, no, nothing that fun, I’m sorry to say. Work drinks, unfortunately.” She pointed to her companions, who were guffawing at a ribald story Lena was glad to have missed the end of. “And you’re here on a date, I assume? You both look lovely.” 

“Yep, drinks and a bite here, then we have theater tickets,” Kelly confirmed. “Alex bought them for my birthday last month; I’ve been wanting to see _Wicked_ for ages, and the tour managed to bring back Idina Menzel for the National City shows.” 

“AKA Adele Dazeem,” Alex joked. Kelly rolled her eyes; she was looking forward to the show but she’d be glad to stop hearing _that_ five times a day. 

“Well, I won’t keep you then; wouldn’t want you to miss the overture.” They exchanged farewells and Lena made her way back to her table. 

She stabbed at the cherry in her Old Fashioned with the swizzle stick, and let the golf talk wash over her. What kind of DEO training operation would be happening without Alex present? Clearly Kara’s excuse had been a hasty lie. 

Maybe she shouldn’t have initiated the invitation at all? Kara had been celebrating their friendship plenty, mostly with donuts, but maybe being on the receiving end had made her realize things weren’t as settled as she thought? Or maybe, given their circumstances at the moment she asked, Lena should have been more up front and called it a date? 

*** 

Despite rebuffing Lena’s invitation, Kara had landed on her office balcony bright and early Monday, bearing friendship lattes and a broad smile, same as usual. It was a beautiful morning, crisp but not yet cold, and they sipped at their drinks out in the fresh air. 

“And how did your training go on Friday?” 

Kara looked shifty. “Oh, great, great. We saved the city. J’onn gave me a gold star.” 

Lena nodded and made a mental note of the obvious bullshit, then changed the subject. They chatted for a few minutes, before Kara realized she was nearly late for work, pulled her into a hug, and took off. 

*** 

Wednesday was Game Night, but most of the gang had other obligations that week. Alex, Lena, and Kara were the only attendees, and Kara had to duck out an hour in to attend to Supergirl duties. 

“Alex, may I ask you something?” Lena was picking at the label on her beer bottle. 

The DEO agent nodded cautiously, then rolled the dice and advanced her piece on the board. It was still slightly awkward when it was just the two of them; Alex was was doing her best, but she more reluctant to forgive than her kindhearted sister. 

“Do you know—” She cut herself off, not sure how to phrase what she wanted to ask. “Is Kara still upset with me? I mean, I would understand if she was. Or is something else bothering her?” she finally blurted out. “I just— I mean, I don’t want you to break any confidences. I can’t figure out quite what’s going on with her recently.” 

Alex’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

“So, she keeps coming by my office with treats, as a celebration of our friendship. Or inviting me to movie nights as a celebration of our friendship.” 

“That sounds like my sister.” Alex nodded, familiar with Kara’s over-the-top gestures. 

“I mean, she even voluntarily nixed movie musicals from the roster because I’m not a fan.” 

Now Lena made eye contact; Alex looked shocked at that revelation. Kara usually hurdled over all objections where movie musicals were concerned. 

“See! I knew that was strange! Anyhow, I invited her out to dinner last Friday, and she said she couldn’t because there was a DEO training. But then I ran into you and Kelly that night…” 

“Oh.” Alex tried to think on her feet. “Well, the simulation assumed that DEO leadership was taken out in the first wave of attack, so I had the night off.” 

Lena narrowed her eyes. Not for the first time, she was surprised a secret agent could be so bad at lying. “She said J’onn gave her a gold star.” 

Alex was saved by Kara swooping back in through the window. 

*** 

Thursday evening, the DEO went on high alert. 

The Stay Puft marshmallow man, of all things, was lumbering through downtown, wreaking havoc wherever he went. Or, as it turned out, wherever _she_ went; the culprit was revealed to be an alien shapeshifter who had gone a little too hard on the hallucinogens after enjoying some of Earth’s movie classics. Supergirl had finally stopped the carnage by laser-visioning the creature, until it exploded into molten marshmallow and the shapeshifter was forced to resume her default form. 

Alex cornered her sister in the DEO locker room, as Kara tried to scrub the hardened marshmallow spatters off her exposed skin. She kept thinking she’d gotten it all, and then she’d dry her hands off and discover she hadn’t; it was getting frustrating. Her supersuit would be the problem of the DEO’s uniform technicians, thankfully. 

“So what’s going on with you and Luthor?” Alex asked. Sometimes a direct question out of nowhere was the best way to get Kara to blurt out an answer. 

Kara looked up at her slightly panicked. She tossed yet another paper towel into the bin. “What are you talking about? We’re best friends again. You know that. In fact, I _know_ you know that because you gave me heck about it for six weeks before finally getting over it. Best friends. I mean, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” 

“ _Riiight_. So why are you making up DEO training sims to avoid dinner invitations?” 

The superhero blanched. “Oh, _that’s_ what— I’m not sure how you—” 

“J’onn gave you a gold star? Ring any bells, weirdo?” 

“I gotta go, someone’s being mugged in the park.” Kara fled out the door. 

Alex’s eyes narrowed. Something was _definitely_ up. 

*** 

Friday morning brought with it another visit from the cheerful superhero. “Croissants today!” Lena mentally penciled in another half hour on the treadmill after work. She appreciated the gesture, but it was getting to be several hundred extra calories a day. Once they’d resolved this latest hurdle in their relationship, they were going to have a gentle conversation on the limits of human metabolisms. 

The weather was wintry, with a cold wind and a slight drizzle, so she’d ushered Kara into her office this time. The extra privacy meant Lena could tug her in by the cape for a quick peck. “Thank you, darling.” She took half a step back, not wanting Jess to catch them. 

Kara plopped down on the couch and piled three of the croissants onto a napkin. Crumbs went everywhere; early into their friendship, Lena had given up and installed a Dyson hand vacuum in her office coat closet. She bit into a croissant; it was perfectly buttery and flaky, and still warm. 

“Since our plans were interrupted last Friday, I was thinking we could try the Pacific Steakhouse tonight, if you were free?” 

The superhero choked on her croissant slightly, and started coughing. Lena obligingly patted her on the back. “Um… sure, I guess.” 

Lena grinned. “Great! I’ll have Jess make reservations for seven. I’ll pick you up?” 

“Sounds wonderful.” Kara’s face contorted into a strained smile. 

She canceled on Lena at half past five. Over text. 

*** 

“Aha!” 

Lena had been digging through her junk drawer, finally turning up the spare key to Kara’s apartment. Kara had given it to her years ago, asking her to stop by and water some plants while the Danvers sisters were in Midvale for a week. The CEO never wanted to abuse the trust Kara had shown by giving her the key, but this was getting ridiculous. 

She called her driver and soon arrived at Kara’s building. As she neared the door, Alex pulled up on her motorcycle. 

“Oh, hey Luthor, did Kara invite you over too?” 

“Not exactly.” 

Alex raised an eyebrow. 

Lena sighed. “We were supposed to get dinner at Pacific Steakhouse _again_ , and she canceled on me.” 

“Weird, isn’t that the place with the 72 oz. Porterhouse?” 

Lena nodded. “That’s the one.” 

“Huh, weird. Seems like her kind of thing. She just invited me over for a movie night an hour or so ago.” 

Lena’s eyes narrowed. She unlocked the building’s front door and stomped into the elevator lobby, with Alex close behind. Whatever was going on, Kara had seemed embarrassed the other day, and Alex wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to find out why. 

*** 

As they approached Kara’s door, Lena pulled the keyring out again. 

Alex’s eyes widened. “Um, maybe we should knock—” Lena wasn’t listening to her, and already had the door open. “ _Ooohkay_ , we’re barging right in, I guess.” 

Kara sprang off the couch, startled. “Lena!? What are you doing here?!” 

“What are _you_ doing here, Kara Danvers?” Lena was glaring and tapping her foot. “We had plans, which you canceled because your sister needed you, and yet according to her, you only invited her over an hour ago.” 

Kara looked to Alex for backup, but she just snagged the bowl of popcorn off the coffee table and flopped onto the couch to enjoy the fireworks. 

“Well, Kara?” 

“Uhh… It’s just…” Kara glanced back and forth between her friend and her sister. “Can we not have this conversation with an audience?” 

“Oh, I’m fine,” Alex assured them. She tossed some popcorn kernels into her mouth. 

“Why don’t you want to talk in front of your sister, Kara Danvers? Is it because it’s about…” She trailed off and raised an eyebrow meaningfully. She wanted to know what was going on, but whatever was happening between them on the romantic front was Kara’s to disclose to her sister. 

“Nonono, it’s not _that_ at all…” Kara’s eyes bulged out of her head. 

Alex laughed. “Do I owe Kelly $50?” Oh well, at least she’d get to see the look on James’s face when he found out. He and his sister FaceTimed twice a week. 

Kara whirled on her. “What?! What does that have to do with anything?!” 

“Probably.” Lena replied, a little quicker on the uptake. “Kara, so if it isn’t about _that_ , what the hell is going on?” 

Kara groaned. “OK, OK. Fine.” She buried her face in her hands. Alex was going to kill her. 

“Before I got the personal assistant job working for Cat Grant, I was working at Noonan’s for three years. And the paychecks were pretty variable, especially at the start when I was bad at the job and not getting many tips.” 

She started pacing. 

“And I need to eat a lot even when I’m not using my powers, right? But I didn’t want Eliza to worry. Or you either, Alex.” 

Alex had stopped eating the popcorn, concerned about where this story might be headed. 

“So, anyhow, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant lifehack, except it turns out if you win the 72 oz. steak challenge every other week, they, uh, start to recognize you.” 

Alex sat up. “Oh no, Kara, please tell me you didn’t… What if someone had figured it out!? Mom is going to fucking _kill_ you!” 

The superhero soldiered on. “Anyhow, I’m banned. Permanently. From the Pacific Steakhouse in National City, the other four in the state, the two in Nevada, plus five steakhouses in another chain with the same owners. Also pretty much every all-you-can-eat buffet in the city that was open five-plus years ago, though those were, uh, separate incidents.” 

*** 

Jess had worked her usual magic. The ban had been lifted in exchange for a promise that any 72 oz. steaks would be paid for in full. And the third time was the charm for invitations: Lena had mustered up all of her courage and asked Kara to join her for a meal that she had explicitly described as a date. 

The two of them were seated at a small table in a private corner of Pacific Steakhouse overlooking the bay. They were working through a bottle of wine Lena had ordered off-menu, and waiting for their main courses to arrive. Kara was making private bets with herself about how expensive that wine would turn out to be, though she would probably have to X-ray vision the check to find out. She was dressed in slacks, a button-up, and a smart blazer; Lena had recently confessed how much she liked the look on her. 

Lena reached across the table and tangled her fingers with Kara’s. “Well, darling, welcome back to the best steakhouse in National City.” 

“I keep waiting for them to call security,” Kara admitted with a laugh. “Back then, they took my winner’s photo down off the wall and taped it up in the hostess stand so they’d know me on sight! Also, I’m pretty sure Alex is planning to tell Eliza at Thanksgiving.” 

“That does sound like your sister. You’ll have to ask Eliza to let Jess know when you’re done being grounded, so she can put it on my calendar,” she teased. 

Kara grimaced. “We’ll see if you think it’s so funny when it actually happens!” She bit her lip nervously. “On that topic… what are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?” 

“Working?” Lena winced, knowing her answer wasn’t going to go over well. Sure enough, Kara was frowning at her. “I know, I know! But I can get so much more accomplished when I’m the only one in the building!” 

“Well, how about this…” Kara seemed uncharacteristically nervous. “What if you came to Midvale instead.” 

“Oh, Kara… I’m not sure… I really do get a lot done.” 

“Will Jess be working?” 

Lena’s jaw dropped. “What? No! I’m not an ogre! She’ll be spending the holiday with loved ones!” 

The superhero just raised an eyebrow. 

“That was some sneaky shit, Supergirl.” Lena glared at her, then sighed. “Are you sure I’ll even be welcome? After…” 

Kara squeezed her hand. “We don’t really tell Eliza about everything. The more she knows, the more she worries. Plus, you won’t be the center of attention. Traditionally, a Danvers Family Thanksgiving involves Alex drinking too much and then making some sort of emotionally fraught announcement about her life.” 

She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “I think she and Kelly have been talking about buying a place together; Eliza is going to freak out that it’s too soon for a major financial commitment, and Alex is totally going to take it the wrong way.” 

“Really?” That did sound intriguing. 

“Really. Some years they’re so distracted that I can eat _both_ chocolate pecan pies before they notice. I promise I’ll even share.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Plus, I’d really like you and Eliza to get to know each other,” she admitted shyly. 

Lena was a goner at that. “Well, in that case, all right. I’d love to join you in Midvale for the holiday.” 

Their mutual hearteyes were interrupted by the arrival of the waiter. 

“All right ladies, I have one 10 oz filet mignon, and one 72 oz. Porterhouse with full sides?” 

He didn’t have much confidence in the slim blonde woman’s ability to finish the enormous meal, but he was far too professional to let on. Besides, the tip on the bottle of wine alone had made his night. After checking that they didn’t need anything else, he sauntered back to the kitchen to finalize the bets on the matter. 

Lena couldn’t help but watch as Kara strategized. “Ugh, that’s basically an entire roast. It should be revolting to watch, but somehow it’s super hot.” 

Kara lit up, grabbed her steak knife, and set to work with gusto. 

*** 


End file.
